NBA '08 Playoff Thread

Sorry, Zag, but Ewing at 11 is beyond ridiculous.

 

I think Kobe currently belongs somewhere around 15 right now.

 

No the competition being fiercer does not make one era better than the other -- However, when comparing a No. 1 option (Thomas) to a No. 2 option (Kobe) on championship teams from a much more watered down era --- puts into proper perspective why the only argument you've got -- Kobe's three rings to Thomas's two -- is plain silly.

What Kobe and Shaq accomplished was wonderful but put their championships in proper perspective when comparing them to what Thomas and the Pistons had to do.

And Duncan is not better than Malone and Barkley -- and unlike those two he never had to beat Jordan, Bird, Hakeem and Isiah Thomas in their primes to try and win a championship.......

 

Good call, Michael. How about Bob Cousy? And what about Mikan? I never saw Bob Lainer play.

Kobe is likely in the top 20 when it's all said and done, but right now, I can think of many other players in history I'd prefer to start a team with.

 

Dear Genco: Good call on Cousy. Anyone who visits the Hall of Fame should look at the old films of Cousy. He was a truly transformational player. He changed the game.

 

I'm sure that's all true, but when I look at tapes of Cousy all I can think is, didn't anyone ever try to make him go to his left hand?

Oh, and by the way, I disagree with Zag on all this in ways that are too numerous to mention.

 

Coolest Cousy story I ever heard was the one about Blue Chips (he plays the AD).

You know the scene where he and Nolte are standing in the gym talking and Cousy's character makes like 20 straight free throws without a lull in the conversation? It was supposedly shot in one take ...

 

Yeah I've heard that. Although I've heard the same thing about the kid in Hoosiers, Jimmy, who makes all those jumpers in a row on the outdoors court, which is more impressive to me since Cous was shooting, well, free throws, and Jimmy had to do it outside while ignoring coach Dale.

Agree on the going-to-the left item, Broadway Joe. I remember a line in a Pistol Pete documentary from an old-timer who said something like, "Pistol Pete did things with the basketball that Bob Cousy couldn't have done in his dreams."

As for the Isiah-Kobe debate, I've lost heart for it when I saw that Zags has Patrick Ewing as the 11th best player in the history of the league. That makes putting Isiah ninth look sane. Yikes.

 

Yeah, but Cousy had to be, what, 65 at the time of Blue Chips? Plus, doesn't he even make a lefty free throw during that scene?

 

Fixed

 

no love for lou, walt, wes or the big e?

 

I think I could make a case for a lot of players -- I've already admitted I threw that list together in about ten seconds, just off the top of my head and without much deeper analysis than taking a look at some quick stats.

I'm not married to it -- but it does lead to some interesting discussions and I do think it would be hard to argue with the top five, though you could argue about their order.